Ensuring Effective Communication in Care Homes for Older Adults

The provided content refers to various books, journals, and websites that focus on health and social care research, communication, and service user involvement. The references touch upon topics such as interpersonal communication, healthcare services, technology in healthcare, patient-physician communication, peer support, integrated health and social care services, burnout prevention, and information sharing between practitioners. These resources are valuable for understanding the importance of effective communication and collaboration in healthcare settings, ensuring compliance with legislation like the Equality Act 2010 and Data Protection Act 1998, and promoting best practices in health and social care service delivery.

Communicating in Health and social care organisations
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Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................3
LO 1: Exploring ways in which communication skills are used in health and social care..............3
AC 1.1 Applying relevant theories of communication in health and social care contexts..............3
AC 1.2 Using communication skills in a health and social care context........................................4
AC 1.3 Reviewing methods of dealing with inappropriate interpersonal communication between
individuals in a health and social care setting...............................................................................4
AC 1.4 Analysing use of strategies for supporting users of health and social care services with
specific communication needs.......................................................................................................5
LO 2: Understanding the influence of various factors on the communication process in a health
and social care setting...................................................................................................................6
AC 2.1 Explaining the influence of values and cultural factors on the communication process....6
AC 2.2 Explaining the impact of legislation, charters an codes of practice on the communication
process in a health and social care setting....................................................................................6
AC 2.3 Analysing effectiveness of organisational systems and policies for promoting good
practice in communication.............................................................................................................7
AC 2.4 Suggesting ways for improving communication process in a health and social care
setting............................................................................................................................................7
LO 3: Exploring use of information and communication technology (ICT) in health and social
care................................................................................................................................................8
AC 3.1 Accessing and using standard ICT software packages to support work in a health and
social care setting..........................................................................................................................8
AC 3.2 Assessment of the benefits of using ICT in health and social care for users of services,
care workers and care organisations.............................................................................................9
AC 3.3 Analysing legal considerations in the use of ICT and its impact on health and social care
setting............................................................................................................................................9
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................10
Reference List..............................................................................................................................11
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Introduction
Communication is the medium that allows logical interaction between people so that a rational
conclusion can be drawn upon. The need for effective communication is paramount in a health
and social care setting due to its major implications for understanding the needs of users. The
current assignment uses the issue of communication in Cromwell hospital and helps in
identifying problems and explaining the various methods that can improve overall
communication for better treatment. The use of information and communication technology
(ICT) in a health care setting and its utilisation is also defined through the study.
LO 1: Exploring ways in which communication skills are used in health and social care
AC 1.1 Applying relevant theories of communication in health and social care contexts
According to Hart and Bond (2015), the relevance of communication is extremely high in a
health and social care setting since proper communication helps in quick identification of issues
so that relevant steps of cure can be provided at the earliest. In the context of Cromwell
hospital, the communication theories that were mostly adopted included Social cognitive theory
(SCT) and Behavioural theory. The implications of these theories were prominent due to the
patients being from overseas, especially the Middle East.
Figure 1: Social Cognitive Theory
(Source: Beck et al., 2015, p.25)
The use of Social Cognitive Theory allowed the hospital to understand that language barrier
would be a problem when dealing with users from the Middle East. The use of the theory helped
in understanding that the environmental factor of being in a new place would impact their
behaviour and the cognition abilities of the users. Interaction being the vital key issue in this
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regard. The users in the hospital tried their level best in giving proper care and treatment the
users but were let down by the improper communication that was due to language differences.
Figure 2: Operant Conditioning factors
(Source: Elder et al., 2015, p.280)
The other theory that could be linked with this was the Operant Conditioning by B.F Skinner.
This was another theory based on behaviourist theory of learning. The theory generally
discusses that human behaviour must be understood by looking into the causes of an issue and
the possible consequences on individuals.This theory clearly exemplifies the factors regarding
actions and consequences and it undoubtedly helped the hospital employees in assessing their
linguistic skills and the attitude of staff to deliver the best treatment possible. The hospital
capably delivered quality service to the foreign users despite some interaction issues. Lowes
and Hulatt (2013) argued that improper communication can sometimes result in the wrong
diagnosis which in turn impacts the actual prognosis resulting in fatal consequences for users.
Keeping this factor in perspective, I found that I did lack the skill of perceiving information
properly. Considering the employees required being adept and quick in decision making, I was
found to be wanting in this aspect. However, my interaction skills were up to standards as I
could communicate well among the focus group in discussing issues.
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AC 1.2 Using communication skills in a health and social care context
As per Ackerson and Viswanath (2014), the need for every user in a health and social care
setting is to use their personal as well as communication skills so that the problems of users can
be identified correctly and proper care can be given. Keeping in mind the scenario of Cromwell
Hospital, it is evident that there have been shortcomings in dealing with problems of overseas
users. Considering this fact, the communication skills used in the hospital included careful
listening, non-verbal communication, empathy, respect, friendliness and proper feedback.
The necessity that arose due to the high-value customers being from foreign nations made it
crucial that basic communication skills were utilised. The major benefit that came in the
interaction process was careful listening. It allowed the patients to clearly voice their opinions
and problems. To some extent, the use of gestural and other non-verbal communication helped
in conversation with the users regarding the issues. The humility with which the patients were
greeted and taken care of where possible by using the skills of empathy, respect and
friendliness. This helped in fostering a bond between users and caretakers. Lastly, the regular
feedback taken about the users allowed speedy analysis of issues and treatment could be
assigned quicker. According to Berg et al. (2013), feedback allows the caretakers to monitor
and record the various needs of users so that the shortcomings of the services can be ably
rectified.
The use of communication skills including listening, respect and friendliness helped me assess
my capabilities in conducting proper health and social care. I found that these methods of
communication allowed me to successfully tackle issues of users who found it difficult to open
up to the care workers. These traits helped me to communicate well with the users of the health
care services. However, I had very weak non-verbal communication skills and this was a barrier
to communicating with impaired users.
AC 1.3 Reviewing methods of dealing with inappropriate interpersonal communication
between individuals in a health and social care setting
According to Dennis (2013), language issues in a health and social care setting is bound to
create tensions between users and caretakers due to the inability to comprehend each other’s
needs. In the scenario of Cromwell Hospital, the problem arising due to users of different
ethnicities created various instances where there was inappropriate interpersonal
communication in the organisation. It was, however, necessary to use methods that could
ethically deal with the tensions between users and caretakers.
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The first method was to adopt weekly reviews that could help in assessing the nature of the
discomfort and the reasons behind the issues. The feedback gained from evaluation of the
users allowed to estimate the main problems that they face and it also gave a proper review of
the caretaker’s skills.Elder et al. (2015)argued that weekly or daily review systems can capably
help in mapping the behavioural patterns and needs of users so that the right personnel and
treatment can be allotted subsequently. Sometimes the issues were disguised as friendly banter
so that the situation is not blown out of proportion. Other caretakers usually pacify the situation
with their knowledge about the particular user. It is also made sure that the particular caretaker
is designated to some other user to ease the tensions since inappropriate communication will be
harmful to both parties.
Feedback gathering was one of the weaknesses that I faced for communication purposes. This
seriously hampered my communication process as it did not help in gathering responses of the
users. This led to inappropriate communications.
AC 1.4 Analysing use of strategies for supporting users of health and social care
services with specific communication needs
The definite need for every organisation is to cater to every need of the user. Krahnet al. (2016)
argued that the possibilities of users that are in dire need for services but have extreme
difficulties in expressing and communication pose a critical urgency to caretakers. The Cromwell
Hospital was capable of understanding the situation and in order to support the rights of users
with specific communication needs, the factor of confidentiality of identity and information was
strictly used for treatment purposes. The confidentiality of data allowed specific personnel to be
assigned so that they could attend the user with communication needs and provide necessary
caretaking measures.
The chances of misinterpreting data are extremely high when the user has difficulties in
communicating but has very specific needs. Misinterpretation can cause wrong medication or
services to be given causing a fatal consequence. The hospital used strategies such as
reminders and checklists to keep a record of the medications and services. Leichsenring (2014)
opined that the issue of misinterpretation of data is problematic for both the users and care
providers and proper strategies should be used for nullifying this error. The hospital had to face
interpersonal communication issues due to the multilingual nature of patients and keeping track
of all the information allowed the hospital to provide effective services.
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Confidentiality of data and information was a prime factor that needed proper strategies to be
implemented with. Misinterpretation of data is easily possible during this scenario and it can
lead to wrong prescriptions of medicines and diagnosis reports. Maintaining correct decorum
and records can help in careful attention being given to users.
LO 2: Understanding the influence of various factors on the communication process in a
health and social care setting
AC 2.1 Explaining the influence of values and cultural factors on the communication
process
According to Martin et al. (2014), a multicultural health and social care setting will automatically
incur the dilemma for multilinguistic users that can create a huge issue of miscommunication
and interpretation. In the case of Cromwell Hospital, it is evident that the majority of the users
belonged from overseas and constituted a major chunk of their revenue. This adds extra
pressure on their front to provide impeccable services. However, Leiter and Maslach (2015)
argued that having a multicultural user base initiates the factors of culture and values and that
can impact the overall communication process in the organisation.
If the prospect of Cromwell Hospital is evaluated, the majority of users belonged from the Middle
East and their significant values and cultures do pose a hindrance in communication. As per
McCallion et al. (2013), the Middle Eastern culture and values are very ethnic and morally
grounded than western culture. The moral values and culture may hinder the users to open up
fully to outsiders and this may impact the communication process and type of services that are
to be provided to the users. If the users do not open up fully to the service providers it becomes
difficult to assess their issues and proper services may not be possible to be delivered. This can
create a severe impact on the health or mental issues of the users if corrective measures are
not adopted quickly. The Cromwell Hospital faces such issues due to non-cooperation and
mostly due to the cultural implications and this has caused the communication process to be
hampered.
The facts about external and internal factors affecting communication factors do open my
perspective about the need to avoid miscommunication in providing services to the users. The
points about cultural values and factors suggest the importance of language in the
communication process. Misinterpretation can occur due to improper or no knowledge about the
language of users. It makes the users also uncomfortable to share their various issues. This can
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be dangerous for users with serious health issues as communication will be very limited and the
source of the problem cannot be identified.
AC 2.2 Explaining the impact of legislation, charters codes of practice on the
communication process in a health and social care setting
As per Molyneux (2011), legislations, charters and the various codes that are practised
invariably plays a role in the overall communication process. This is prevalent in most health
and social care homes. As per the Equality Act 2010, health care homes must considerably
protect personal interests of users from any inequalities or discrimination and must themselves
not undertake any discrimination of services (Legislation.gov.uk, 2016). In the context of the
Cromwell Hospital case, it can be suggested that they need to carefully deduce logical
processes to handle the issues faced by users. The identified issue of communication must be
tackled in a systematic manner keeping the legislations in focus. Sometimes, this can lead to
the users demanding their right to information. The dilemma arises in a situation where the user
has no chance of surviving but still this news needs to be presented to the user as a measure of
inequality. The impact of legislations has a direct link in affecting the way in which
communication occurs. The hiring of employees based on inequality and avoiding discrimination
can lead to better relations between employer and employee. This can assist in the proper
implementation of policies. On the services point of view, legislations will allow the caretakers to
treat each employee without any bias so that equal are can be provided at the earliest.
Moreover, the implications of Data Protection Act 1998, creates a situation where proper record
are to be maintained and handled professionally (Legislation.gov.uk, 2016). The problem that
arises in the case of an overseas client is that data of a particular user cannot be transferred to
another personal as it can cause an infringement of the law. But in doing so the user may get
greater expertise in care services. Thus, it can be stated that communication does get
hampered to some extent as some guidelines need to be followed. Data protection is a serious
legislation that curbs the level of information that is transmitted in the health care home. It
initiates confidentiality as it is required for keeping vital health information of a user safe.
AC 2.3 Analysing effectiveness of organisational systems and policies for promoting
good practice in communication
According to Payne et al. (2012), the duty of health and social care settings is primarily bent on
developing policies that focus heavily on the promotion of good health and wellbeing which is to
be ably supported by expert communication skills of service providers. Organisational policies
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must be devised to focus on communication so that interactive sessions with the users can be
achieved. In the case of Cromwell Hospitals, their organisation faces the issue of
communication even though their quality of service is flawless.
Keeping this factor in mind, it can be assumed that the service providers in the hospital follow
their code of conduct to provide the best of services. However, the trained and educated
professionals have been able to serve the users for several years. The organisation provides
innovative and top notch quality in their service and this has helped them to cater to the
overseas clients for many years. It can be said that even though the problem of interpersonal
communication has existed in the company, their service range, quality and eagerness to
communicate with personnel has overshadowed the communication issue considerably. This
can be attributed to a person centred approach to the policies of the organisation and the skills
of the trained professionals who tried to communicate to the best of their abilities. This leaves
tremendous scope for improving training modules and changes in policies regarding
communication of good practices to the users and providers.
Organisational systems govern the decision making processes and decisions regarding the
safeguarding of users and providing quality service assurances is a must. Since quality is a
major issue, promotion of good practices is necessary for building better communication and
improving services.
AC 2.4 Suggesting ways for improving communication process in a health and social
care setting
According to Thompson and Parrott (2014), the need to constantly strive for improving the
communication process in a health care setting translates to better services and interaction with
the users. The policies and procedures in a company must look to enhance its communication
process to create an interlinked pattern for communication that can help in identification and
treatment of issues quicker. In the case of Cromwell Hospital, it is clear that even though their
services are very effective in satisfying users, they have issues in their communication
department.
The first suggestion that can effectively improve the communication standards in the
organisation is to conduct multiple language training sessions for the service providers so that
their lingual capability is improved to tackle users. Since the majority of users are from the
Middle East, the personnel should be trained specifically with basic knowledge about the local
language or better still, recruitment of personnel from the Middle East can help in easing the
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communication issue. Secondly, the organisation must include social and interactive meetings
for all users so that interaction among themselves can quicken the will power of users to
recuperate. The service providers can monitor each user and record their assessment for
further evaluation. This way best service can be provided by communicating with the users.
Torpet al.(2010) argued that person-centred care can boost healthy communication as the user
derives a feeling of being taken care of and assists the provider by communicating specific
issues.
Training and development are key aspects that must be used for improving interactive skills of
employees. The manner in which they approach users and communicate can be improved by
presenting training modules that included one on one conversations and improving on listening
qualities. Other ways of improving communication are through providing latest equipment to
track and record the progress of users. Interactions will be quicker and feedback can be
gathered faster.
LO 3: Exploring use of information and communication technology (ICT)in health and
social care
AC 3.1 Accessing and using standard ICT software packages to support work in a health
and social care setting
Berg et al.(2013) opined that utilisation of technological aspects for communication can only
boost the interaction process and allow monitoring, recording and evaluation of vital information
in a health and social care setting. ICT implies the use of any communication device that
includes television, mobile phones, computers and other software that can play an assisting role
to enhance communication of processes and ideas. If a health and social care setting are taken
into consideration, the basic ICT packages can allow in the development of the policies and
procedures that can be assistive in communication.
It can be stated that the ICT packages that Cromwell Hospital should include in their
organisation must include Database packages, Word processing packages and
Communications software. The database packages such as Lotus Approach or Paradox and
even MS Access can help in storing valuable data. Maintaining records of each patient and their
history is vital for present and future practices in health and social care. The software packages
allow the care providers to transmit vital information with relative ease and quick remedial
orders can be generated. On the other hand, word packages including MS Word can help in the
development of reports. The software for accessing the internet comprise of the
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communications package such as Internet explorer and google chrome. As per Martin et al.
(2014), utilising the various ICT packages allows companies to design an atmosphere of
interaction that allows an effective and smooth flow of communication.
The use of these ICT packages can only help in improving the manner in which information is
accessed and delivered by both users and service providers. Their scope of knowledge can
develop and help interpersonal communication immensely. However, the increased costs of
implementing ICT software and training employees with the new software can take time as well.
Improper training can cause the functionality to lose focus and incur extra costs to the company.
AC 3.2 Assessment of the benefits of using ICT in health and social care for users of
services, care workers and care organisations
Leichsenring (2014) opined that the implementation of effective ICT packages assists in
improving the capabilities of the entire organisation, service providers and most importantly the
users of the services. The three-way benefits it provides can improve organisational policies and
improve personal development for care workers and users. The benefit that the use of ICT has
on the organisation is that it allows them to evaluate the records of its users and develop a
pattern that can help in identifying the trends of users. This can help them establish or change
certain rules regarding the services provided by the company. Using the internet can keep them
updated about the ongoing issues across the globe. In the viewpoint of Cromwell hospital, it
allows the organisation to understand the world scenario so that users with issues from
overseas can be attended accordingly.
On the other hand, Dennis (2013) argued that service providers must learn their craft and
improve it using ICT packages so that managing users and communication process and skills
are improved. The service providers of Cromwell Hospital can use the database and word
packages to record information and develop reports efficiently. This improves their overall skills
and the reports allow better interpersonal communication. They can also cater to the necessary
overseas users more efficiently. On the user's point of view, they can use the ICT package to
communicate with fellow users or communicate their problems to the care providers. This can
eventually lead to the creation of a worker and user-bond that is beneficial in promoting good
communication and promoting wellbeing.
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AC 3.3 Analysing legal considerations in the use of ICT and its impact on health and
social care setting
According to Beck et al. (2015), although ICT does have its benefits, the legal considerations
that are associated with the usage can potentially impact the overall influence on a health and
social care setting. This statement can be assessed using the Cromwell hospital by addressing
its issue of improper communication. ICT usage in the organisation does allow them to enhance
their already existing policies and procedures and improve personal skills of service providers.
However, certain legal issues may befall if the system is not utilised properly. Using electronic
medium to communicate can cause the risk of leak of sensitive data through hacking or
monitoring. This creates a chance of unethical working module and causes legal actions to be
taken against the company.
On the other hand, since Data protection act is followed by the organisation, the leakage of
information can be put to improper use and result in illegal manipulation of data. Another legal
implication that can befall on the company for using ICT is the possibility of server crashes and
data corruption. This can erase valuable data permanently and cause the imbalance in
providing service. The users can file lawsuits that accuse the company of misusing their
personal information or on the charges of wrong medication. Either way, the process can bring
legal issues to the health care home. Any problems resulting in leakage of essential data has
severe legal implications that can be hazardous for the health care home. It can cause lawsuits
to be filed against the company and that can be damaging to the reputation of the health care
home. This can disrupt every possible operation that are conducted in the health care homes.
Certain legal implications based on discrimination and data leakage over services provided can
invite criminal charges as well.
Conclusion
The study allowed to examine the issue that Cromwell Hospital is facing regarding
communication in their organisation. The assessment of the various theories of communication
used along with the various factors that can assist better communication. The impact of policies
and procedures suggest that overseas users do pose a challenge for services without proper
communication. The use of ICT packages is described and shows that even though it has huge
benefits, a slight mistake can cause massive legal implications. ICT must be therefore carefully
utilised by the health care home and frequently monitored in order to be safe from legal
lawsuits.
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Reference List
Books
Hart, E. and Bond, M., (2015). Action research for health and social care: A guide to practice.
Buckingham: Open University Press.
Lowes, L. and Hulatt, I. eds., (2013). Involving service users in health and social care research.
Routledge.
Journals
Ackerson, L.K. and Viswanath, K., (2014). The social context of interpersonal communication
and health. Journal of Health Communication, 14(S1), pp.5-17.
Beck, R.S., Daughtridge, R. and Sloane, P.D., (2015). Physician-patient communication in the
primary care office: a systematic review. The Journal of the American Board of Family
Practice, 15(1), pp.25-38.
Berg, M., Aarts, J. and van der Lei, J., (2013). ICT in health care: sociotechnical
approaches. Methods Archive, 42(4), pp.297-301.
Dennis, C.L., (2013). Peer support within a health care context: a concept analysis. International
journal of nursing studies, 40(3), pp.321-332.
Elder, J.P., Ayala, G.X. and Harris, S., (2015). Theories and intervention approaches to health-
behavior change in primary care. American journal of preventive medicine, 17(4), pp.275-284.
Krahn, G.L., Hammond, L. and Turner, A., (2016). A cascade of disparities: health and health
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Leichsenring, K., (2014). Developing integrated health and social care services for older
persons in Europe. International journal of integrated care, 4(3), pp. 78-82.
Leiter, M.P. and Maslach, C., (2015). The impact of interpersonal environment on burnout and
organizational commitment. Journal of organizational behavior, 9(4), pp.297-308.
Martin, S., Kelly, G., Kernohan, W.G., McCreight, B. and Nugent, C., (2014). Smart home
technologies for health and social care support. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 4(1), pp.45-55.
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McCallion, P., Toseland, R.W., Lacey, D. and Banks, S., (2013). Educating nursing assistants to
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Molyneux, J., (2011). Interprofessionalteamworking: what makes teams work well?. Journal of
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Thompson, T.L. and Parrott, R., (2014). Interpersonal communication and health
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Torp, S., Hanson, E., Hauge, S., Ulstein, I. and Magnusson, L., (2010). A pilot study of how
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Websites
Legislation.gov.uk. (2016). Equality Act 2010. [online] Available at:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents.
Legislation.gov.uk. (2016). Data Protection Act 1998. [online] Available at:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents.
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